Single string musical instrument



March 4, 1952 J, KALOSY 2,587,735

SINGLE STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 4, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR.

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SINGLE STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 4, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. (fizpAl alas Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,587,735 SINGLE STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT John AJKalosy, CaldWll,-N. J. Application January 4, 1950, Serial No. 136,765

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel single string musical instrument, the string of which is adapted to be vibrated by movement -'of a bow of the violin playing type thereover.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel construction of single string musical instrument having manipulatable means for var-yi'ngthetension of the string whereby to produce "the various tones or notes of a -musical scale,

'means cooperative with the string Jbeing "provided whereby to amplify the produced .tones and thus to obtain mellow and pleasing musical 'quality of good volume and carrying power.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

"Fig; 1 isa top planview ofasingle string musical instrument made according to the invention'; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same, taken on -.line.22 inFig. .1; Fig. 3 is ahorizontalsectional view thereof, taken on line 3-4 inFig. -2;and Fig. 4 .is-a-detail :view of the coupling attaehment'whereby the string is operatively connected with the sound amplifying means of the instrument.

:Similar characters of reference are employed "in :the herein-above described views, .toindicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the novel musical instrument of this invention comprises a hollow body-l of suitable shape and designappearance which formedby side walls ll a bottom wall 12 anda top walll3. The top wall l3- extends beyond one endof the body so as to provide a neck portion having a'central-bow passage opening ll terminatingiat its outer-end in an endwise open space l5, thus dividing the .neck portion into two arms l6 "and H.

.Amxed :to the body. to extend centrally through the interior thereof intermediateits top and bottom walls [2 and 13,

area -,pair of longitudinally disposed, laterally spaced frame bars I8, the-outer end portions is of which are-shaped to conform to margins of the opening l4 and endtspace 15 of said neck portion. Saidend portions [9 of the frame bars terminate in bearing portions 20 which border the sides of saidend space [5. The outer end portions 19 oftheframe bars are of increased height so that theyabutand-support the arms lfiand l1 oftheneck portioniniunderlyingtrelation thereto.

Supported by the frame bars l8, to extend across the undersides thereof within the 7 interior of the body It), is :a bridge-member 2|. Mounted 'onthe top of 'said'bridgemember'2l. so as to be centrally locatedbetween said frame bars 18,

is a string fanchor block 22 having a superposed clamp plate 23 adapted to be afiixed thereto by suitable fastening means, such e. g. as fastening screws 24.

Mounted in the space l5 at the outer end of the instrument neck portion is a string tension control drum 25, the shaft 26 of which is journaled in the bearing portions 26 with which the outerends of the frame bars l8 are provided. One end of the shaft 26 is provided with a rearwardly extending crank-like lever arm 2? having a finger piece formation 28 which projects laterally beyond the adjacent outer side margin of the instrument neck portion, so as to be readily accessible by the tone controlling. hand of the operator while in playing position for manipula- 'tion.

The instrument string 29 is anchored by its inner end to the anchor block 22 by means of the clamp plate 23. From said anchor block 22, the instrument string 29 extends longitudinally outward from the interior of the instrument body It), thence across the opening M of the instrument neck portion to the tension control drum 25. The outer end portion of said string 29 is wound around said drum, preferably so-as to form a plurality of convolutions 33 which encircle the latter, whereupon the terminal convolution is secured to the drum by suitable fastener means, such e. g. as a fastening screw 3i. The'string 29 is thus stretched between the anchor block 22 andthe drum 25 at a minimum tension, the drum being stopped against clockwise rotation and consequent relaxation of the string from such minimum tension by the stopped engagement of the free end portion of the drum shaft-lever arm 2! with the underside of the instrument neck portion (see Fig. 2).

Dependent from the bridge member 2| are spaced bearinglugs 32 which extend in vertical planes parallel to the plane of the string 25. Mounted throughthe bearing lugs 32 are fulcrum pivots 33 'by which an oscillator lever 34 is pivotally supported in downwardly spaced alignedrelation'to the string 29, and in the vertical plane of the latter. This oscillator lever 34 comprises an outwardly directed short arm 35, which underlies the string 29, and an oppositely extendingand inwardly directed long arm 35. The lengths of said arms 35 and 36 are suitably relatively proportioned, preferably at a one totwo ratio, whereby the'length of the long arm 33 is'twice that of short arm 35. Pivotally connected with the end of the short arm 35 is a 'transmissionrod '31 which extends upwardly to "thestring'29fwith its upper end portion fixedly provision of this diaphragm tributes to the sound amplification of the incarrying power.

coupled to the latter. To provide such coupling, the upper end portion of said transmission rod 31 is bifurcated by a split 38 (see Fig. 4), the string 29 being entered in said bifurcated end portion of said transmission rod, and then said portion of the latter being squeezed into strong gripping or clamping engagement with the string. Said transmission rod is thus coupled to the string 29 at a point on the latter which is outwardly spaced from its anchored end... This point of attachment is predetermined so as to establish suitably relatively proportioned inner and outer lengths of the string, preferably atthe ratio of one to seven.

The top wall 13 of the instrument body H) is provided with a circular opening [3 and across said opening is a diaphragm 4i],

Preferably, said diaphragm comprises thin metallic sheet material, although it will be obvious that it may comprise any other suitable material. Ithas been found that a diaphragm of silveraluminum alloy gives very satisfactory performance.

Pivotally connected with the end of the long arm 36 of the oscillator lever 34 is'a second't'ransmission rod 4|, which extends upwardly to and for suitably fixed attachment to the center of said diaphragm 40.

Preferably, the bottom wall l2 of the instru ment body It is likewise provided with a circular opening 42 across which, extends a diaphragm 43 similar to said diaphragm 49. The

strument, but also aids in production of mellow and pleasing tone quality when the instrument is played. It will be understood, however, that provision of this second from the instrument structure if desired.

In the playing of the instrument, the body It may be horizontally held between the players hip and left arm, and supporting the neck finger piece formation 28 of the lever arm 21 by which the string tension control drum 25 can be actuated.

When the instrument is so the player applies a rosined hair bow of the violin bow type (not shown) to the string 29, by passing said bow perpendicularly through the 39 of desired with the left hand underlying of the instrument, but so that the thumb thereof may be applied to, the

strin tension varying effect, and

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A single string musical instrument adapted to produce .the notes and tones throughout the Scale range of a complete melody comprising a diameter, and suitably affixed to' said top wall '43 not only condiaphragm 43, although preferred, is not essential, and it may be omitted" held, or otherwise. held suitable to the convenience of the player,

opening M of the neck portion of the instrument," I

and then reciprocates the bow in contact with the string 29. The movement of the thus manipulated bow relative to the string 29 causes the latter to vibrate in vertical plane with musical note or tone producing effect. The string vibrations thus produced are transmitted by the string through thetransmission rod 31 to the short arm 35 of the oscillator lever 34, thus causing oscillations of the lever in correspondence to the string vibrations. lever 34 effects like oscillatory movements of the long arm 36 thereof but of greater amplitude, and these movements are transmitted through the transmission rod Al to the diaphragm 49,

Such oscillation of the held in stopped adjacent to the tension is at its low pitch body; having a neck portion, a transverse shaft journaled in said neck portion, a string tension control drum of substantial diameter afiixed on said shaft, a string having one end anchored to the body and its opposite end to thedrum, and manipulating means for oscillating the drum to control tone production comprising a crank-like lever arm provided on said shaft and having a finger piece projecting laterally beyond the body neck portion for engagement by the tone controlling handof the player, said lever arm being engagement with the underside of the body neck portion by the tension of the string when said tension is at. its low-pitch limit but subject ,to oscillatory movement above said limit whereby to rotate the drum for string tension and musical tone variation.

2; A single string musical instrument adapted to produce the notes and tones throughout the scale range of a complete melody comprising a hollow body having a neck portion, said body neck portion being provided with a bow passage opening perpendicular to the plane thereof, a transverse shaft journaled in said body neck portion, a string tension control drum of substantial diameter afiixed on said shaft and disposed outwardly bow. passage opening, a string having one end anchored within the hollow body and its opposite end wound around the said tension control drum. and terminally aflixed thereto, said string being arranged to extend across the bow passage opening, and manipulating means for the said control drum comprising a cranklike'lever provided on said shaft, said lever being held in stopped engagement with the body neck portion by the tension of the string when. said limit but being subject to oscillatory movement away from such stopped position whereby to rotate the drum for string tension and "musical tone variation, said lever having a finger piece formation projecting from its free end outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the body neck portion and accessible for manipulation by the tone controlling hand of the player.

3. A single string musical instrument as defined in claim 2, wherein the hollow body has an opening therein axially parallel to the bow passage opening in the neck portion thereof,'the axis of said body opening being also located in the vertical plane of the string, a horizontally fiat circuwhereby the latter is vibrated correspondingly-J to the string 29, so that the produced note or tone is substantially. amplified in volume and ner above described, the player may vary the tone 1 or note'production'of th'e'string 29 at'will by lar sound-amplifying diaphragm mounted 'in closing relation to said bodyopening, and means within the body for transmitting string vibration to the diaphragm and comprising a substantially straight lever mounted on an axis transve'rse to the string for, oscillation. substantially in the vertical plane of, said string and having'itsinner end disposed beneath the,center,of,.sa.d diaphragm, a vertical rod connecting said inner end 5 of said oscillating lever to the center of the diaphragm, and a second vertical rod connecting the outer end of said lever to the string.

4. A single string musical instrument as defined in claim 3, wherein the sound amplifying diaphragm is corrugated in concentric convolutions.

JOHN A. KALOSY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Jenison Feb. 8, 1887 Winecoif Oct. 12, 1909 Watty May 23, 1916 Ryan Oct. 18, 1932 Robertson Dec. 6, 1938 Harvey May 21, 1940 Notara Jan. 10, 1950 

